How Can Sheep Farmers Improve Flock Performance?

At the Teagasc national lowland sheep conference in Roscommon, experts discussed ways to improve sheep flock performance. Prof. O’Mara highlighted the importance of the sheep sector, noting €440 million in sheep meat exports in 2023. Dr. Tim Keady emphasized that proper ewe pregnancy nutrition is crucial for profitability, affecting lamb mortality, birth weight, and colostrum production. He stressed the need for good silage quality and adequate ewe body condition scores (BCS) at lambing. The optimal birth weight is 6kg for singles, 5.6kg for twins, and 4.7kg for triplets. Developing detailed nutrition plans is essential for flock profitability. Source: Daily Trust

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The Teagasc National Lowland Sheep Conference in Athlone, County Roscommon, focused on enhancing sheep enterprise performance through strategic adjustments. Despite adverse weather, the event saw diverse speakers discussing the importance of the sheep sector in Irish agriculture, which generated €440 million in sheep meat exports in 2023.
Dr. Tim Keady highlighted the crucial role of ewe pregnancy nutrition, linking it to lamb mortality, birth weight, colostrum production, and ewe body condition. He emphasized that proper feeding, particularly in the last six weeks of pregnancy, significantly impacts lamb survival and growth. Research indicated that ewes on high-quality silage had better outcomes, including higher birth weights and body condition scores. Keady concluded that a comprehensive nutrition plan, considering lambing dates, litter size, and silage quality, is essential for flock profitability.